Easy Cinnamon Rolls

There are a ton of recipes for cinnamon rolls.  My biggest problem with most of them is that I have to get up early in the morning to cook them.  Not cool.  I am not a morning person.  I don't make breakfast for breakfast, I make it for dinner.  MUCH easier for me to manage.  THIS, however, works for breakfast time.

It's a mixture of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Alton Brown.  This dough takes several hours to get ready, but there's minimal hands-on time.

First, make a batch of Challah dough -

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons Kosher salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (NOT airtight) food container.  Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon.  You might have to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

Cover (NOT airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.  You can use this dough immediately, but it's easier to handle if you chill for a couple of hours.  Refrigerate in lidded (NOT airtight) container.  You can use it anytime over the next five days.

When you're ready to make cinnamon rolls (the night before you want to eat them), sprinkle the counter liberally with flour.  Spray a 9" x 13" pan with non-stick spray.  Dump out the dough and divide in half.   Roll one half of the dough into an 18" x 12" rectangle (with the long side facing you).

Filling:
8 ounces brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons milk

Brush the dough with the milk, leaving a one-inch border at the top of the dough.  Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle the mixture over the milk.  Gently press the mixture down to make sure it sticks.  Start rolling the dough away from you into a tight cylinder.  Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder so the seam side is down.  Squeeze the cylinder gently to make it an even thickness.  Cut into 16 pieces - I usually cut in half, then each half in half, and so on until there are 16 pieces.  Set into the pan.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge overnight.  Repeat with the second half or save for another day (but remember to use it within five days!).

Next morning, pull out the pan, make some coffee, and heat the oven to 350F.  Let the oven heat while you get out the ingredients for the frosting!

6 ounces cream cheese (let this sit out and get to room temperature before you try mixing it!)
6 tablespoons milk
12 ounces confectioners' sugar

Once the cream cheese is room temperature, beat the cream cheese until smooth in a mixer.  Slowly add the milk while beating.  Add the confectioners' sugar....slowly....unless you'd like to be covered in sugar!!!

Now that the oven is warmed and the cinnamon rolls have warmed up a bit, bake the cinnamon rolls for about 30 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 190F.

Go ahead and spread the icing over the top of the rolls and serve immediately.  These are delicious and hardly ever last more than that morning, but IF you happen to have leftovers, wrap them up tightly and store in the fridge for up to three days.  Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds if you like them warm.